Amazing Masks!!!

My sixth graders finished up the plaster masks they have been working on for the past two months.  They used Paris Craft plaster strips in a mold to create the masks initially, then used tin foil, hot glue, and more plaster strips to customize and add to the masks.  It was amazing to see 100 white plaster masks come out of a mold, all exactly the same, then two weeks later every single mask had grown into its own personality.  We then painted them and added some mixed media objects.  I loved this project and was amazed at what my amazing students came up with, enjoy!!

Plaster Mask In-Progress

I wanted to post some photos of my sixth graders amazing plaster masks they have been working on.  This is one of the last art teacher's projects which was a student favorite.  My sixth graders made it very, very clear that "we need to make plaster masks!!!"  I had no problem with it but have since put my own twist on the project.  In the past, students used plaster of paris to coat the inside of a plastic mask.  Once dry, they removed them from the mask and painted them however they wanted to.  I added an element of creative construction to the process.  After the first round of plaster in to the plastic masks, all the plaster masks look exactly the same.  I gave the students a chance to give their mask some personal flare and style by building and adding on to them with aluminum foil and hot glue. 

This is what the masks look like after being removed from the plastic molds.  From here on out, no more molds, pure creation!!

I showed students how to crumple tin foil to take up space, hot glue it into place, and cover with plaster strips to add strength.  Some of the things that the students have come up with are amazingly creative and innovative.  I am super excited to see how they turn out.

We have started painting and that masks are looking AMAZING!! I love them and will have more photos soon.

Here are a few photos of the in-progress painting on the masks.  I have helped students come up with multiple different ways to paint and add texture their masks.  Here is our splatter painting box which is turning out very cool in itself.

I taught students how to create a stencil to put over their mask so that they could achieve a splatter paint look but only in desired areas.  I especially loved the outcome of this one...

Here are a few more in-progress masks that are turning out pretty cool!!  I gave a demonstration on how to paint realistic eyes which seemed to help many students.